


Zootopia's Bits and Bytes

by DancouMaryuu



Series: A Zootopian Miscellany [1]
Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: AO3 exclusive, From Reddit, One Shot, One Shot Collection
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-27
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2019-06-10 14:00:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 10,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15293067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DancouMaryuu/pseuds/DancouMaryuu
Summary: A compilation of short works composed for r/Zootopia's Creation Themes - and more.





	1. Pardon the Intrusion...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Creation Theme 11: "Nine-one-one operator. What is the nature of your emergency?"
> 
> Sometimes, thieves aren't the worst things that can break into your store...

**CALL RECORDED: MONDAY, MAY 28, 2018 - 21:32**

**Dispatch:** "911. What's your emergency?"

 **Caller:** _(whispering)_ "You gotta get over here! I was just closing up shop when this frickin' bison puts his head through my door!"

 **Dispatch:** "Sir, are you being burglarized?"

 **Caller:** _(whispering)_ "Burglarized, vandalized, I don't know! Just get over here! He's breaking and entering either way- oh my god!"

 **Dispatch:** "Sir?"

 **Caller:** _(whispering)_ "He's coming this way!"

 **Male voice:** "D'you know where the astrology section is?"

 **Caller:** "Huh?!"

 **Male voice:** "Oh, before I forget. Your doors aren't working. Might wanna fix that..."

 **Caller:** "Sir... you are aware that the store closed half an hour ago, right?!"

 **Male voice:** "Oh, the door was _locked_! I gotta stop doin' that..."

**CALL TERMINATED**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll just say that years of surfing _Not Always Right_ inspired this one...


	2. What the fuzz does 'Mobile Police' mean, anyway?!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theme: "Dream Jobs"
> 
> An otaku rat and an aggravated hare talk giant robots.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one I wrote as a sort of parody/shill for one of my other works, _Zeeplabor - The Mobile Police_.

"Fifty-five meters?!" growled Asuma Inaba, "The friggin' thing would collapse under its own weight! Not to mention it'd bankrupt the company!"

"Oh, come on!" said Noa Nezumi, "Don't you think it'd be neat if your dad's company made giant robots like that!"

"Even if it did - _which it doesn't_ ," growled the hare, "It would probably be eight or so meters at highest, and I don't see it as a war machine either - maybe heavy engineering, like that refurbishment project they're planning for the Climate Wall."

"Hmmmm..." said the rat, pacing up and down on the table, "but what if industrial robots like that were misused?"

"Misused how?"

"Like, by terrorists or drunks or stuff like that. Then the police would have to get mechas of their own to bring them to heel!"

"Come on, Noa!" Asuma rolled his eyes, "Giant robot DWI?! I mean, could you see the likes of Judy Hopps driving a giant robot around?!"

"Actually...!" A grin formed on the rat's muzzle. "I think she'd _love_ the idea!"

"Tell you what." Asuma crossed his arms. "My Dad's sponsoring the Pawlo Grounds redevelopment project. Hopps is going to be attending the groundbreaking ceremony. I'm gonna draw up a 'Police Robot' and show her what I've got. If she thinks there's something to it, I'll give you that tour of Dad's factory you've been pestering me about, but if she thinks it's as crazy as _I_ think it is, then you have to pay for our next lunch _and_ accept that your dream job of 'Giant Robot Pilot' is just that - a dream!"

"You're on, bunny!"

" _Hare_!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Patlabor_ fans may have guessed that Noa Nezumi and Asuma Inaba are based off of Noa Izumi and Asuma Shinohara respectively.


	3. Joy and Terror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theme: "Abandoned Areas"
> 
> Judy discovers something... _unexpected_ about Nick's former partner-in-not-crime.

"You sure this is the place, Finnick?" Judy pointed her flashlight at the sign marked 'House O' Horrors'.

"Yeah, this is where he went, no doubt about it..." the fennec informant tried to hide his shivers.

"An abandoned theme park..." Nick regarded the attraction's demonic appearance, looking even more demonic now that age and lack of maintenance had hacked away at it, "Nothing ominous about _this_ , no siree!"

"Yeah..." Finnick turned to Nick, "Y'know, somethin's been buggin' me... D'ya _really_ think we're 'civilized' animals?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, before we evolved, we got our shots a' adrenalin either from runnin' away from things that'd eat us, or runnin' after things we'd eat, right? We like to say that life back then was... what was it that tiger philosopher said? 'Nasty, brutish, an' short'?"

"Kinda like you?"

" _Shut it, Nick!_ " Finnick's diction grew faster and more panicked as he continued, "Life back then was terrible, so y'd _think_ we'd wanna live cushy, stress-free lives, right? So why do we gotta build things like this?" Finnick gestured to the House O' Horrors. "Or make horror movies? Or FPSes? We make 'dose things because we _want_ the odd bit a' stress in our lives, 'cause 'dats the only thing 'dat gives us purpose when things are so 'peaceful'! You think 'Oh yeah, that's fine! We get a little outlet to vent like 'dat'! But _then_ ya get things like 'dat Night Howler panic where prey were _all too happy_ to get terrified of us preds! What I'm tryin' ta say is, can we really live in a peaceful world when deep down, we all _want_ 'dat adrenalin rush?!"

Judy's nose wiggled as she stared at the shivering fennec. "Where did _that_ come from?!"

Nick chuckled. "Finn gets philosophical when he's scared."

" _I AIN'T SCARED_!" Finnick barked, "I mean, how d'ya know I'm scared?! How do _any of us_ know when we're scared?! I mean, does a big neon sign flip on in our brains sayin' 'I AM SCARED', or is it..."

Judy rolled her eyes and entered the House O' Horrors, leaving the fennec to ramble on.


	4. Impersonating an Officer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theme: "Characters Meet Their AU Counterparts"
> 
> Judy and Nick wind up making a rather strange collar... and _not_ the one around the other fox's neck.

"You can't arrest me!" snapped the plainclothes rabbit that looked uncomfortably similar to Judy, " _I'm_ Sergeant Judy Hopps, and I'm arresting all three of you!"

"For what?" Nick mused, glancing at the utterly poleaxed fox that looked eerily like him, but with no uniform, and a collar around his neck. The other, "not-Nick" seemed utterly lost just by looking at him. Nick couldn't help but worry for the other fox, given the collar's similarity to the shock collars predator prisoners and mental patients had worn way back when.

"You two for impersonating officers!" not-Judy pointed at Nick and Judy, before alternately pointing at Nick and not-Nick. "and you _and_ your twin here for violation of the T.A.M.E. Act!"

"Okay..." Judy took a step towards not-Judy, "One: The T.A.M.E. Act never passed. Two: Judy Hopps isn't a sergeant - yet. Three: _I'm Judy Hopps_ \- if you're gonna go to the trouble of getting yourself a fake badge that good, at least be original - and _FOUR_ : you are both under arrest - you for impersonating an officer, 'Sergeant', and both of you..." Judy turned to not-Nick, "for disturbing the peace and unauthorized entry into Little Rodentia."

"I _was_ authorized!" not-Judy snapped, "And I _know_ I'm the only bunny on the beat, and there are no predators - let alone foxes - on the ZPD, so quit pretending!"

"Uh-huh." Judy quickly cuffed her doppelgänger's wrists, "So let me just put these _pretend_ cuffs on you, escort you both to our _pretend_ vehicle and drive you down to the _pretend_ station so we can hose that fur dye off of you."

"THIS. ISN'T. FUR DYE." not-Judy hissed as she and not-Nick were dragged into the cruiser.

Judy closed the car's rear door behind her doppelgänger before turning to Nick.

"I'm not like _her_ , am I?" the rabbit groaned.

* * *

"I'm gonna get you for this, Wilde!" not-Judy seethed at not-Nick as Judy started the car. "Once I get out of here, I'm gonna testify the _hell_ against you! I'm- I'm gonna throw you up and lock away the key!"

Not-Nick seemed to take the Spoonerism as a cue to inject some levity into the situation. "Madam, are you comparing me to vomit?"

Judy tried to hold her childish giggles in. Not-Nick had clearly done his homework as to her partner's personality.

Unfortunately, real-Nick chose to pipe up. "And what did the key ever do to _you_ , huh?"

"Quit it, you dumb foxes!" Judy tried unsuccessfully to hold her laughter in. Soon even not-Judy was chuckling a little.

"Quit being so cute, you two...!" not-Nick grinned at the two cops up front, "You're gonna set my collar off!"

"I- wait, that really _is_ a shock collar?" Nick murmured.

"What else would it be?" Not-Judy seemed perplexed by the very idea that it wasn't one.

"How'd you get _yours_ off?" not-Nick asked, seeming equally perplexed, "And how'd you pull off impersonating an officer when you're a fox?"

Judy and not-Judy exchanged nervous glances with Nick and not-Nick respectively.

Something was _wrong_ here...!


	5. A Surprise Visitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stu Hopps receives a few too many strange visitors - and Nick Wilde isn't the strangest of them!
> 
> Theme: "'Nothing [crazy] ever happens in Bunnyburrow... right?'"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wound up submitting _two_ works for this theme. This is the first.

"You guys don't honestly think aliens _really_ dropped in here, do you?!" Judy groaned.

 _Naturally_ the outlandish patterns had appeared on her parents' fields the night after she and Nick had arrived for their visit!

"Well, I-I-I wouldn't say that..." stammered Stu as he, Judy, and Nick ambled through the wheat fields, moving from one circular pattern to the next, "But... when this sort of thing happens...!"

"Ah, you needn't sweat it!" Nick chuckled as he pressed on ahead, "Any joker can make a crop circle! All you need is a two-by-four and a bit of rope!"

The fox then dropped off suddenly as he peered into the next circle.

"Carrots?" Nick now seemed tense.

"Yes, Nick?"

"I think we've found our joker...!"

Judy and Stu peered into the second crop circle.

There in the circle was a coyote in a black t-shirt and khaki shorts, face down on the ground. A board with some rope tied to it lay beside him.

Blood was seeping out of deep wounds on his back.

Judy ambled up to the canine, feeling his wrist.

"He's dead...!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe Sherlock Holmes put it best: "It is my belief, Watson, founded upon my experience, that the lowest and vilest alleys in London do not present a more dreadful record of sin than does the smiling and beautiful countryside.”
> 
> With that in mind, I keep thinking Bunnyburrow would be a good setting for Agatha Christie, _Father Brown_ , or _Midsomer Murders_ -type antics.


	6. Emergency Landing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theme: "'Nothing [crazy] ever happens in Bunnyburrow... right?'"
> 
> The Hopps Family Farm receives some more surprise visitors...

As he tilled the field, Stuart Hopps Jr. - better known as "Stewie" or "Junior" - was contemplating how his sister Judy had bragged about how 'exciting' Zootopia was.

Stu Jr. was wondering what exactly Judy had meant by 'exciting' when all of a sudden, a shadow passed overhead. To his amazement, it was an enormous airliner. He was amazed that he hadn't heard it!

The plane was progressing downward. Stu Jr. stared after the plane as it touched down at the abandoned airstrip just beyond the Hopps Family Farm property line.

He stared for a while, then turned the tractor back toward the farmhouse in a hurry.

* * *

"I can't thank you and your family enough, Mrs. Hopps!" panted the white-tailed deer.

"Think nothing of it, Captain Buckley!" said Bonnie Hopps, passing the buck a mug of tea. "In fairness, it's not every day a Doeing 969 lands in our backyard - so to speak!"

Several of the Hopps clan - and their neighbours - were milling around around the plane, helping the flight attendants attend to some of the passengers.

"Still surprised I didn't hear anything!" Stu Jr. murmured.

"How could you? Our engines were out!" Captain Sebastian Buckley groaned sardonically, shaking his head, "How the hell did we lose all that fuel...?!"

"Sir?" a beaver flight attendant approached the Captain and Co-Pilot, "I've finished taking stock of the passengers."

"What've we got, Ellie?" said First Officer Will Amur, a thickly built tiger.

"All clear, sir!" The relief in the beaver's voice was palpable. "Some injuries, but nothing serious. Everyone's out and everyone's safe, sir!"

"You _did it_ , Seb!" Amur cackled in elation, clapping Buckley on the shoulder, "You fuzzing _did it_!"

All Captain Buckley did was smile, tears streaming down his muzzle, staring into his tea. "Thank God...!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This "crash" is based off the real-life incident of the 'Gimli Glider'.


	7. Ring Around the Rabbit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theme: "Marriage Proposal"
> 
> All he has to do is ask the bunny to marry him. That can't be too hard... right?

This part couldn’t be so hard… right?

Just go up to her, say those magic words, give her the ring, and it’d be done! He'd picked the farmland near her childhood home as the place specifically so she'd be more comfortable. Only trouble was, he wasn't sure _he_ was comfortable there!

Oh, quit shivering! This was the moment he'd been waiting for! _Their_ moment!

One way or another, he was going to make that bunny his wife!

“Um, hi…?” he said.

“Hello…?” She cocked her head to the side in confusion.

Wonderful. Now she thought he was weird. Her father probably thought so, what with those looks he'd given him when they'd told him they were dating. He still wondered if she and her family  _really_ thought he was good enough after the mistakes he'd made in his past...

But then again, if it weren't for those mistakes, he'd never have been able to get close to her...

"L-lovely day out, isn't it?" Oh god. Don't stammer...!

"Yes! I've heard it's only going to get hotter tomorrow!" she chuckled, her ears perking up at last. God, there's something about those ears that just allured him (he had no idea why). He'd never thought a mammal with those kinds of ears would capture his heart like this!

Okay. Enough beating around the bush. Time to get it over with!

"You know something, Carrots..." he said, leaning against the fence, staring into the sunset. "I was in a rough patch when you came into my life. My dream lay in ruins and I had nowhere to go but down. I don't think I'd ever have climbed out of that pit if it hadn't been for you."

"Are you alright?"

Oh god. She'd noticed he was crying. So much for trying to be suave... That bunny doe had a knack for tearing down his emotional barriers!

Still, he couldn't stop now!

"Quite frankly, you're the most wonderful thing that's ever happened to me. I-I-I want to make you the happiest bunny on Earth! B-But if you don't think I can make you happy, that's alright. It's all up to you."

He took a deep breath in and began fumbling in his pocket for the ring.

"What I'm trying to say is... Will you do the honour of- no- uh... Will you please..." Uh-oh. Which pocket had he put it in?!

Just then, the little box fell out of his pocket, and tumbled to her feet.

"Oh!" The bunny doe reached down and picked the box up.

"W-w-wuh...!" he stammered. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen! Now she'd _really_ think he was pathetic!

Still, she opened up the little box that contained the ring. Tears began to flow from her eyes, and that adorable little bunny muzzle crept up into a smile.

"I-I-I..." Now _she_ was the one stammering. "I think the phrase you're looking for is, 'Will you marry me?'"

"Uh..." He was flabbergasted.

"And I say..." She took in a deep breath. "I say yes, Stu! I will!"

"Oh, Bonnie!" The two rabbits hugged each other tightly, not noticing (or caring) that she'd dropped the ring into the grass nearby.


	8. An Un-Nerdly Mammal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theme: "Poorly Kept Secrets"
> 
> Judy and Nick meet a celebrity, and Judy finds out that her partner has a deep secret...

Nick and Judy looked over the gutted remains of the TV studio set that showed the inside of _Doctor Time_ 's famous 'Time-Ship'.

"So you're certain this was arson?" Judy turned to the fire marshal.

"Easily," said the pronghorn. "There's traces of kerosene all over the place."

"You can still smell it," said Nick, taking a whiff from the remains of the Time-Ship's central console prop before walking off the stage to join Judy and the pronghorn.

"Still can't believe someone would do this!" grumbled a voice behind them. The three turned around to see a striped hare walking up to them, shaking his head at the torched set.

"Jack Savage, right?" said Judy, recognizing the actor that currently played the titular role on the long-running science fiction show.

"Yeah..." The hare took in the set once more, then glanced up at the fox and rabbit. "Oh, I'm sorry! I hope I'm not bothering you, officers!"

"Oh, it's no problem!" said Nick. "I guess this must be rough on your pay check."

"Not just the pay check..." Savage glared again at the remains of the sound stage. "I mean, who would torch _Doctor Time_?! This show's practically a cultural institution!"

"You're a fan?" said Judy, raising an eyebrow at the hare.

"Since I was little." Savage eased up again, chuckling a little. "Do you watch it?"

"Once or twice," said Nick.

"My kids are into it," said the pronghorn.

Judy hadn't seen it, but she was more focused on staying on topic. "Could we please just-"

"Sorry you had to see this," Nick interrupted. "Looks like the Pytarans went through this place!"

"Hmph!" Savage snorted. "Yeah, junked episode or not, I think they were ripe for a return after forty-three years! Just our luck it happened _here_! Anyway, I'd better get going. My agent and I have to talk with the producers about how to deal with this disaster..."

"Oh, Mr. Savage, before you go..." Nick reached out and pulled out two promotional flyers for _Doctor Time_ , showing Savage's character standing in front of the phone booth-shaped Time-Ship. "We have a Timean friend at Precinct 1, and, uh..."

"Nick!" Judy groaned.

"Oh I don't mind at all!" Savage pulled out a pen. "Still feels weird _giving out_ autographs for the show now..." The hare signed the flyers and handed them back to Nick as he began to depart the studio, giving an affable wave. "You're welcome to question me after my meeting!"

Judy turned to her partner as Savage left. "Nick...!"

"Hey, Clawhauser wanted autographed memorabilia and I figure he'd never leave us be if we didn't get it!" the fox shrugged.

"Nick, we don't-" Judy stopped herself. "Wait, why'd you have him sign _two_ flyers?"

"Well, one's a spare-"

"Hang on..." A smirk came over Judy's muzzle. "'Once or twice,' huh?"

Nick's ears sank. "Well, maybe a _little_ more-"

"Naming an alien from a 43-year-old junked episode?" Judy's smirk grew larger.

"Okay, first off, the Pytarans technically aren't 'aliens.' They're originally from deep in the Earth's crust-" Nick paused, then buried his head in his hands as he realized the jig was up. " _Cuss_...!"

The pronghorn fire marshal snickered under his breath.

"Since your knowledge of the show is _bigger on the inside_ , why don't we use it?" Judy chuckled, turning to leave. "Business before pleasure, Wilde!"


	9. Toot-Toot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> r/FanFiction - August 2, 2018 Daily Prompt: "Your character sees someplace they’ve always wanted to visit for the first time. (100 Words)"
> 
> Nick takes Judy to an old haunt of his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's different. Instead of coming from r/Zootopia's Creation Themes, this one comes from r/FanFiction's Daily Prompts.

“Nick, are you alright?” said Judy.

“Yeah, I’m okay,” Nick sighed, eyeing the walls of miniature locomotives and rolling stock. “Just getting nostalgic…”

To Judy and Nick, these would have been sized for model railways, but these kinds of train were built with rodents in mind.

“I can see why you picked this place,” Judy grinned. “It’s definitely… interesting.”

“Yeah…” the fox smiled earnestly, his green eyes lighting up in enthusiasm. “Come on. The first all-scaled high-speed train’s this way – at least I hope it still is… I haven’t been to the Railroad Museum since I was a little kit!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, admittedly Nick isn't visiting this place for the first time, but Judy is.


	10. Story of My Life...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> r/Zootopia Creation Theme 20: 'Judy has HAD IT with seeing Nick suffer.'
> 
> "How can they _do_ this to you?!"
> 
> "Stories are stories, Carrots. It's no big deal!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I gave theme 19 a miss 'cause I couldn't think of anything to contribute for 'beat the summer heat'.
> 
> Also, I'm posting this straight to AO3 and I'm just linking this to the Reddit post. I feel like containing things within a Reddit comment may be affecting these stories.
> 
> One more thing: This story takes influence from Alps_Sarsis's work "Who Writes This?!" If you haven't already, I highly recommend you read Sarsis' work. It's **amazing**!

Nick Wilde felt something like nostalgia as he and Judy Hopps walked the streets of East Packerville. Even the looming incongruity of the massive, impersonal, modernist apartment complexes of Happytown to the north felt welcoming in a bizarre sense. Judy had buried herself in her phone while they were walking, so Nick couldn't really gauge what she felt about the somewhat downtrodden atmosphere of the poorer, mainly predator-populated neighbourhood.

But while Nick didn't have a rabbit's enormous ears, but he liked to think that his regular, pointed ears were good enough when it counted, so one night, when he and Judy were on the way to his mother's house, he easily caught the sound of the bunny uttering a quiet groan of dismay.

"Alright, Carrots." The fox glanced to his partner. "What's eatin' ya?"

"It's nothing!" An embarrassed-looking Judy quickly tried to pocket her phone, but Nick's hands were built for quick slights, and he easily nabbed the phone from the bunny's comparatively tiny hands. "Hey!" Judy tried grabbing the phone, but Nick gave the bunny a stiff-arm and held the phone away from her. 

Nick looked at the site Judy had been visiting. "VolePit.net?" he sighed as he handed the phone back to his partner. "Carrots, I told you to quit looking at those stupid real mammal fics."

"I know, Nick..." Judy sighed. "I feel like writing fanfiction about real mammals is dumb, but... I just feel like I have to get some idea of what mammals think of us."

"So you're looking at some random guy on the internet and taking their word as the will of the people?" Nick raised an eyebrow.

"It's not like that!" The bunny shook her head. "Let me put it this way; if you knew people were going to write biographies of you, wouldn't you want to know what they'd say?"

"Carrots, ten thousand words on the internet a biography does not make."

"Nick, I'm serious."

"So am I!" Nick's brow furrowed as he pushed the 'WALK' button on a crosswalk. "If you want to set the record straight, just write an autobiography or something."

"This isn't about how  _I_ see the story." Judy shook her head again. "It's about how everyone  _else_ does! I want to know how everyone else sees me. Since the Night Howler Case, I want to know if mammals are blaming me, Bellwether, Lionheart, the ZPD... I want to know how mammals will feel about it years from now - if they've learned anything from it."

Nick sighed as the two crossed the street. "Carrots, you're overthinking again. If mammals fifty years from now are gonna feel bad about you, so what? That's not your problem _now._  They're entitled to their opinion. Just... I dunno, keep making the world a better place and whatnot. Let your record speak for itself!"

"I know... I'm trying to... But, it just makes me so angry seeing them get things wrong!" Judy seethed as she looked at her phone. By now, they were only a block away from Nick's mother's house.

"Carrots, the internet's full of tail-holes." Nick rolled his eyes. "You don't have to let their opinions of you rattle you so much-"

"It's not what they say about _me_  that bugs me," said Judy. "I think I'm actually getting used to that. It's the things they're writing about  _you_ that gets me mad."

"Me?" Nick was surprised. "Carrots, foxes take it on the chin a lot from other mammals. It's no big deal-"

"It's not like that either!" Judy's brow furrowed as she glanced at her phone. "It's how they've turned you into a sort of... a-a-a... cosmic punching bag!"

"Cosmic punching bag?!" Nick's face screwed up at the allusion.

"Yeah!" Judy growled. "Whenever something sad or painful happens in one of these stories, it always seems to happen to you!" The bunny stopped walking to scroll through the stories, foot beginning to thump. "I mean, look! Here's one where you get shot in the neck! Here's one where your entire family gets slaughtered! Here's one where you lose an arm and a leg! Here's one where you..." Judy recoiled from her phone. " _O_ _h!_ That's  _disgusting_! And they have  _me_ do it, too! How can they write this?! How can they  _do_ this to you?!"

Nick shrugged. "Stories are stories, Carrots. It's no big deal!"

Judy didn't seem to have heard him. "If it were me, I'd understand! I almost broke this city apart. I'd be angry at me, too!" The bunny finally looked at her partner. "But you don't deserve this! _You_ didn't hurt anyone!"

Nick sighed and pulled Judy close. "Carrots, it's nothing personal - it's fiction. There has to be conflict or it's not much of a story."

Judy grinned and looked up at Nick. "Look at you, Mr. Literature Professor!"

"Hey!" Nick chuckled. "I've learned that part of a hustle is telling a story, and I found that mammals like their sob stories. Is it any wonder that they give the characters in these stories plenty to angst about?"

The two resumed walking as Nick continued. "I mean, take when we first met, for instance. I was playing a down-on-his luck single dad trying to get a jumbo-pop for his young, elephant-obsessed kit. I was hoping to hook Jumbeaux on my angst story, but you wound up getting hooked instead. Fact is, compelling stories are stories where things go wrong!"

"I know..." Judy sighed. "But when things are just dark and depressing all the time, that's no good either. Why can't there be more stories about things going _right_ for you?"

Now, the three of them had almost reached the front steps of Nick's mother's house, which formed part of a humble, two-storey brick row house.

"Well, if it makes you feel better, why don't you go and write one?" said Nick.

A mischievous grin split the rabbit's face. "Actually, I'm making one right now."

"Oh?" said Nick, returning the grin as Judy put her handle on the doorknob. "How does it go?"

"Like this...!" Judy swung the door open, and Nick took in the sight of his mother standing there, along with Finnick, Chief Bogo, Clawhauser, and several other officers from Precinct 1.

"SURPRISE!" they yelled, as Clawhauser and Wolford cracked open a pair of party poppers.

Nick quickly turned to Judy, who stood there, absolutely radiant.

"Happy Birthday, Nick!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happytown is taken from early drafts of the film. I assume that it is something akin to a social housing complex like the Pruitt-Igoe complex in St. Louis or Bijlmermeer in Amsterdam - big, impersonal concrete blocks from the days of modernist hubris. Nick's mother lives near these buildings, but doesn't actually live in Happytown proper.


	11. Not Here!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> r/Zootopia Creation Theme: "Interspecies Adoption"
> 
> Chief Bogo has to remind one of his most respected officers that sometimes it's not wise to bring one's kids to work.

“I covered all the details of the Taillander Case at the last Deputy Chiefs' meeting,” explained Chief Bogo. “Borough Chief McAddax was more intimately involved with the matter than I was. I suggest talking to him. Precinct 1 only got involved very late in the game.”

“I see,” said ZPD Commissioner Horner, rubbing her thick horn in thought. “In any case, I’m proud of the way you and McAddax cornered Taillander and his cronies.”

“Well, as I’ve said, ma’am…” Bogo resisted the urge to sigh. He wasn’t sure he liked how the rhinoceros Commissioner put him on a pedastal. “…credit should go to McAddax. This was his operation.”

“Yes, of course.” Horner got out of her chair to leave. Just as she opened the the door to Bogo’s office though, she stopped. “Oh, by the way. It’s not often that I find myself ‘eating crow’ as it were, but I’m glad to be wrong about that desk officer of yours.”

“Clawhauser?” Bogo’s brow raised.

“Yes, him.” A smirk appeared on the rhino’s snout. “I’m glad you were able to keep him here. To think I nearly had you suspend the poor cat!”

Bogo winced. Horner had seen Officer Benjamin Clawhauser and predator officers in similar positions as ‘surplus to requirements’ during the Night Howler Panic. She’d recommended that the cheetah be placed on 'indefinite sabbatical,' ostensibly to avoid the risk of civilians panicking at the first face they saw at ZPD Headquarters. What Horner didn’t realize was that Clawhauser was popular amongst both predator and prey officers at ZPD Headquarters. If Clawhauser had been disciplined for something he had no control over, morale would tank even worse than it already had. Thankfully, Bogo had talked Horner into finding alternatives, such as reassigning Clawhauser to Records instead. While this hadn’t completely solved the morale problem caused by his absence, it had softened the blow, and made it easier to put Clawhauser back in his original position after Bellwether’s arrest.

“I’m not sure about his bringing that fawn here,” the rhino continued. “But we’re still picking up the pieces of the Night Howler Crisis, so any gesture of predator-prey reconciliation would go a long way.”

Bogo’s brows shot up. “Fawn?!”

* * *

“Clawhauser,” Bogo rumbled as he strode toward the front desk.

“Oh hi, Chief!” Clawhauser grinned nervously, still clutching the bundle in his arms.

Bogo crossed his arms and glared at his front desk officer. “Clawhauser, This isn’t Take-Your-Kid-To-Work Day. I thought you were going to leave that fawn with a sitter.”

“I was, Chief! I was!” protested the cheetah, reluctant to remove his comparatively enormous pinky finger from the mouth of the little fawn swaddled in his arms. “But my cousin Kendra had a doctor’s appointment and I couldn’t get a replacement in time! I-I promise he won’t be a problem, sir! I mean look at him! He’s really quiet!”

Bogo sighed. Honestly, he worried for that cheetah, and for Willie, the baby deer he had adopted. The way in which the fawn had entered Clawhauser’s life hadn’t helped any.

The cheetah had been off-duty when his car had gotten caught up in a massive, fog-induced pileup in the Rainforest District. Clawhauser hadn’t been seriously injured, but he had noticed an SUV with three red deer in it that wasn’t so lucky. Willie’s father had managed to hand the infant to the cheetah, but his mother was already dying, and the buck would be pronounced dead on arrival.

Bogo remembered how guilty Clawhauser had felt over not being able to save Willie’s parents, particularly after it came out that with his parents dead, Willie had no living relatives. Eventually, the cheetah had made the decision to adopt the little deer himself.

Admittedly Bogo wasn’t the best judge, not having any calves of his own, but he had his doubts about Clawhauser’s ability to be a father, especially by himself. Judy Hopps had been willing to give Clawhauser tips – she’d had experience helping to raise more than a few younger siblings – but Bogo sensed that even she had her doubts.

Still, that cheetah seemed absolutely determined to do the right thing by little Willie. Additionally, the Commissioner seemed to approve of leniency for this situation.

“Just… try not to let this happen in future,” Bogo sighed. “And don’t let it interfere in your duties!” The buffalo turned to leave, but a loud yawning noise from Willie made him stop and think. Bogo turned back to the desk. “What are you feeding him?”

“Oh, mainly milk, but I’m told you have to get him used to proper veggies around this time, so I’ve been chewing up lettuce and spitting it out,” Clawhauser gently rocked the swaddled fawn back and forth. “I’m told that you have to grind it up nice and tight.”

Bogo was stunned. “Clawhauser, a good blender could’ve done that! Have you been swallowing any of that lettuce?!”

Clawhauser eyed the floor. “Maybe a bit accidentally…”

Bogo buried his head in his hoof. No wonder he’d caught him vomiting into the ZPD toilets every now and again since adopting Willie.

“Once your shift is over, I’m coming to your apartment.” Bogo growled.

“But-“

“No buts!” Bogo continued. “I’m going to personally make sure you know how to feed that fawn properly if it kills you!”

“Y-you’d do that, Chief?!” Clawhauser squeaked, hugging Willie closer. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“Yes, well…” Bogo sighed. “I know Hopps has been helping you, but she’s not a ruminant. Willie is. I figure I ought to give you some advice on how to deal with ruminant diets properly.”

“Awww!” Clawhauser fawned (dear god, Bogo was going to have to be careful with that expression). “You see, Willie?” The cheetah nuzzled his adoptive son. “I told ya the Chief’d understand!”

Bogo cleared his throat loudly. “What did I say about your duties?!”

“Oh, y-yes, sir!” Clawhauser abruptly saluted.

“Good.” Bogo turned back for his office.

But was it his imagination or had Willie lifted his tiny arm to mimic Clawhauser’s salute?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not particularly proud of this one. Someone in the comments remarked it was a little lacklustre. Even before I posted this I had those thoughts, but I couldn't think of how to improve this so I posted it as-is.
> 
> Still, some of you seem to enjoy it, which is good.


	12. In Your Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> r/Zootopia Creation Theme 21: "Interspecies Adoption"
> 
> An archaeologist and his team make the discovery of a lifetime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reuploaded due to a backdating problem

“Easy…! Easy…!” Dr. Kevin O’Roorke gently slid down the rope, gently setting his giant feet onto the sand-covered cavern floor.

Back in the day, his fellow students had joked that with feet that big, it was only a matter of time before the kangaroo stepped on and broke vital archaeological finds. Joke was on them. In twenty-one years of archaeological study, he had never so much as stubbed his toe on an artifact. Ever since Lorna had started interning under him, that possibility had become even more unlikely.

The marsupial switched off his headlamp out of respect and called up to the hole in the ceiling. “Lorna! Could use your ears here!”

The sound of tiny leather wings filled the chamber, followed by the occasional ‘click’. Eventually, O’Roorke raised his arm and let Lorna land on his wrist.

“Not much as far as I can tell,” the free-tailed bat squeaked. “Almost a perfect square – about twenty-two meters by twenty-two meters. We’ve got some bas-relief carvings all over the walls far as I hear, plus some pottery fragments in the southeast corner.”

O’Roorke smiled. That bat and her echolocation had been an immeasurable boon to his research. He was surprised that there weren’t more bats in archaeology.

Still carrying the bat on his arm, the kangaroo ambled his way to one of the walls, and contemplated switching on his headlamp. Instead, he figured it was time to give his newest intern a chance to shine.

“’Ey, Brian!” he yelled up to the hole in the ceiling. “I’ll need your night vision!”

“Coming!” A grey fox gingerly shimmied down the rope. Even through his glasses, Brian had acute night vision that would no doubt come in handy.

“Now we know this cavern dates to within a century or so of the Armistice,” O’Roorke explained. “Now what do we usually find in temple vaults like this?”

“Uh…” Brian murmured. “Significant events, like the Armistice… and pictographic biographies of rulers of the time?”

“Good!” O’Roorke grinned. “Now tell me what you see in them!”

Brian began to amble toward one of the walls. He seemed to take an awfully long time. O’Roorke was about to ask him what was wrong when the foc finally piped up. “Dr. O’Roorke? These carvings don’t really match up.”

“Oh?” O’Roorke finally switched on his headlamp. The carvings were enormous, placed just above head-height for Brian, but still a good size for O’Roorke to see clearly. They were arranged in rectangular panels across the walls. One of the spaces was an archway filled with stone blocks – obviously this chamber had been sealed for some reason, which had necessitated entry from above.

“Yeah. This is definitely the Aquavitae Armistice scene…” The fox pointed to a carving that showed stylized images of both predator and prey surrounding a pool of water. “But these scenes here…” Brian walked off to a similiar panel on the right. “They don’t match what we usually see in Post-Armistice moments.”

“He’s right,” squeaked Lorna. “It seems to be another predator-prey meeting – or maybe the end of one?”

O’Roorke stared intently at the carved images.

This time, it showed predators and prey seemingly walking away from one another and from the watering hole. The stylized ancient Zootopian images of a hippo, an antelope, and a sheep, were facing away from a similar line consiting of a bear, a tiger, and a wolf.

“Maybe there was a disagreement?” said Brian. “Maybe they had to have a few more meetings? Maybe just once wasn’t enough?”

“Hang on…” O’Roorke glanced at one of the sheep. All of the carved mammals seemed to be holding something in their arms.

“A baby sheep?” said Brian, catching onto what had caught his teacher’s attention.

“Lorna?” O’Roorke asked his more senior intern-assistant. “Does that look like a lamb to you?”

“Doesn’t _sound_  like one…” A touch of discomfort entered Lorna’s voice. Like many bats, she had to wear sunglasses in daytime, and the glare from the Dr.’s headlamp necessitated them in this cavern. In any case, she was using her echolocation to ‘feel’ the carving. “The ears are triangles.”

“Yeah!” said Brian. “And I’m not seeing the bulge you usually get from sheep.”

“Bulge?” O’Roorke was confused.

“You know, from their wool.”

O’Roorke stood staring intently at the baby before moving onto the bundles the other two prey animals were carrying.

“More mismatching…” the kangaroo muttered. “This… yes, that tail’s way too long to be a gazelle calf, and… yes! That’s definitely a bear cub in the hippo’s arms!”

O’Roorke excitedly hopped over to the other side of the carving. “Yes, look! Look at this!”

Brian ran over and peered up to see what he was looking at. The wolf and the tiger were certainly carrying hooved babies, and the baby the bear was holding had a hippo’s trademark muzzle.

“It’s making sense now!” A grin burst across the marsupial archaeologist’s face. “You were right, Brian. Just once _wasn’t_ enough!”

Brian tilted his head and adjusted his glasses in confusion. “What?”

“Don’t you see?” O’Roorke excitedly gestured to the carvings. “After the Armistice, predator and prey had to be sure they could trust one another, so what do they do? A gesture of good faith, demonstrating they were putting themselves in each other’s hands!”

O’Roorke pointed back to the prey-side of the carving. “A bear cub in a hippo’s arms, a gazelle calf with a tiger, a wolf pup with a sheep… They entrusted each other with their children to cement the Armistice!”

O’Roorke hopped over to the panel to the right of the ‘exchange’ panel. “This must be what happened next!”

This next panel showed a sheep and a wolf facing another sheep and wolf. The sheep on one side and the wolf on the other were slightly smaller than their counterparts on the other side.

“They must have left their children in each other’s care a long time,” said O’Roorke. “All those mammals advocating against interspecies adoption – ha! If they only knew it was through interspecies adoption that civilization began! This is utterly amazing! We could be rewriting the history books he- Brian? What’s wrong?”

Brian was panting, which was odd given how cool the chamber was. “C-could I have some air?”

“Uh, sure,” said O’Roorke. “I’m sorry. I guess this must be overwhelming for you. Go right ahead!”

Brian immediately shimmied back up the rope to the passage above the chamber where they had bored into the floor. Once there, he collapsed against the wall of the upper chamber, taking off his horn-rimmed glasses and staring at them in contemplation.

The young fox was scared. He studied history to understand the world – not to change it. Just his luck he’d stumbled on a politically significant find like this! Just his luck it had that subject matter!

Just relax… Dr. O’Roorke would probably get most of the credit. Brian and Lorna were just unpaid student interns. The fox’s name probably wouldn’t even come up except as a footnote.

Besides, history is all about learning. Just let mammals see this - maybe ask Dr. O’Roorke not to mention his name at all.

Brian sighed, put his glasses back on, and turned back to the hole in the floor. Might as well keep helping Dr. O’Roorke and see what happens next…

Either way, he’d never hear the end of this - particularly from his own parents!


	13. Tundratown Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tundratown Day - a day to commemorate the frosty Borough's history. However, some mammals have a different view of said history.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> r/Zootopia Creation Theme 23: Holidays unique to certain species

“Nick, wake up!” Judy delivered a sharp elbow to her partner.

Nick jolted upright in his folding chair, took his hands out of his coat pockets, and examined the crowd around him. “Is Guelke done yet?”

“No,” whispered Judy. “And that does not mean you can fall asleep again! We’re on the clock, remember?”

“Sorry…” groaned Nick, gesturing to where Acting Mayor Nathan Guelke was still droning on about Tundratown’s history with Zootopia. “It’s just that Guelke ought to market his speeches as a cure for insomnia.”

“Yeah, he’s boring. I’ll give you that,” said Judy. “But still, we’re running security for this event, so shape up.”

Nick glanced around Shiveresk Plaza, observing that despite the freezing Tundratown temperatures, a few other mammals seemed to be falling asleep as well.

Judy tried to tune in to Guelke’s speech, where he talked about how Tundratown had agreed to “be a part of the great Zootopian experiment.” Judy noticed that Tundratown Borough President Bearesford – now sitting behind Guelke’s lectern on the stage - winced at the remark.

Judy supposed it must have been hard for the city’s cold-climate species to live in Zootopia before it built its climate control systems. It made sense for the cold-climate species to found their own city and start building the climate wall. However, building and maintaining the wall had kept Tundratown in a nigh-perpetual state of debt.

In the end, Tundratown had agreed to a municipal merger with Zootopia to deal with the debt crisis. The merger had only come after a contentious referendum in which the pro-merger side narrowly won. Some Tundratowners were still bitter about the merger, but they were mainly among the older generation.

“Well, I don’t think we’re going to see any trouble,” said Nick. “Most everyone in Tundratown is _cool_ with the merger these days- _ow_!”

Judy had delivered another sharp elbow to Nick’s ribs.

Just then, a snowball came sailing from somewhere in the crowd, and connected with the side of Acting Mayor Guelke’s face. The wapiti staggered back a little, then glared at the crowd. “Who did that?!”

“Of course I have been wrong before,” said Nick, as he and Judy bolted out of their seats to find the miscreant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies if this chapter retreaded territory from "Tundratown Elegy."


	14. Goodbye...?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reality can be fickle... but that doesn't stop them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> r/FanFiction Daily Prompts: November 29th (Thoughtful Thursday) - Endings. We're coming to the end of the prompts! Alas! But maybe your character feels a little better (or worse) about something that ended for them? Let's see that moment. (100 words)

“Congratulations, _Sergeant_ Hopps!” chuckled Nick, clapping his hands on Judy’s shoulders.

Judy turned around and grimaced; she’d been dreading this. Nick, however, didn’t seem bothered.

“What’s wrong?” said Nick.

“Nick…” Judy murmured. “You do know what this means, right?”

Nick sighed. “Carrots, we both knew this would happen if we got promoted. All good things must come to an end and all that.”

Nick sidled up to Judy, rubbing cheeks with her. “Besides, who says we aren’t just trading one partnership for another?”

Judy sighed, and smiled. “Okay… On that note, how’s studying for your detective’s exam going?”


	15. Three Bags Full

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judy confronts something that's been bugging her since Bellwether's arrest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **r/FanFiction Daily Prompt: November 3rd (Saturday Relations) - Enemies:** Does your character have an enemy? How do they relate to them? What drives your character's conflict with their enemy? (300 words)

Judy warily stepped toward the rusted gate of the spacious estate.

“I still think this is a bad idea,” said Nick behind her.

“I’m with him,” said Sharla Eweing, the black sheep trembling in her hooves. “I should never have told you I knew about this place.”

“We’ve come all the way to Shepherd’s Bush,” said Judy. “I might as well ask around.”

Just then, a skinny (well, skinny not counting his wool) ram in a polo shirt sprinted up to the other side of the gate.

“You…” the sheep panted. “You’re Judy Hopps, right?”

“Gordon Bellwether, right?” said Judy.

“Mmm-hmm,” the sheep walked up to the gate and pulled a lever. “Sorry ‘bout this. We used to be able to open this gate from the house.”

The old gate creaked open, and the three visitors stepped into the grounds.

“Is there anyone else here?” said Nick.

“Just Ma and my sister Barbara,” said Gordon. “’Most everyone else moved out long ago.” The ram sighed. “I’m surprised you came here.”

“I’m surprised you let me,” said Judy.

Gordon sighed. “Fair enough. Have you seen Dawn in prison?”

“She’s…” Judy paused to consider her words. “She _looks_ okay, but it’s not like she talks to me.”

“She doesn’t talk to us much, either,” said Gordon. “Not since she moved to Zootopia – even less since she went into politics.” He shook his head. “I might as well say it; I’m not sure if we should have expected it or not.”

“Oh?” said Nick.

“My sister was always-“ Gordon stopped himself. “Well, it’s a long story. I’m not sure you want to-“

“I do,” said Judy. She had to know. She had to know how Dawn Bellwether became the way she did – and more importantly, could the same thing happen to her?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually typed this up long ago, but I'm not sure it's that good.


	16. Bienvenidos a El Centro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> r/Zootopia Creation Theme 26: "Other Countries"
> 
> Judy and Nick get a taste of a new case, a new country, and a new culture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like several other of my "bits and bytes," this is a sort of "proof-of-concept" for a much longer work.
> 
> It may be a while before I get to that work, partly because of how underdeveloped this idea is, and partly because it may be ill-timed, since I had a trip taken several years ago to Antigua, Guatemala in the back of my mind when I wrote this, and last year Volcán de Fuego nearby erupted, with great loss of life.
> 
> Either way, I hope you enjoy!
> 
> (also, I reposted this because I accidentally backdated it the first time)

“Gotta say, Carrots,” said Nick, staring at the ceiling of the room, perched atop the too-large folding chair, a travel book in his hand. “I’m _really_ enjoying the ‘warm El Centroese hospitality.’”

Judy rolled her eyes, then returned to staring at the ceiling, trying to get the enormous guns out of her mind, wondering if their treatment so far had anything to do with why she specifically had been sent for.

No sooner had she and Nick gotten off their Air Malaika flight at Ciudad El Centro International Airport than two coyotes had approached them at the gate, escorting them to this tiny, windowless white-walled room.

Needless to say, the thick green El Centro Police uniforms had left an impression on Judy – to say nothing of the rifles they carried on their backs. Those things had to be longer than the rabbit was tall.

With Zootopia’s strict gun control laws, you hardly ever saw handguns, let alone guns that big. Nick had mentioned that the El Centro National Police was still tied to the military, but the sight still unnerved her.

Nick interrupted her thoughts. “You put anything weird in your bags, Carrots?”

“Don’t _think_ so…” Judy thought about her bags. “I bought some potato chips for the flight, but that was after customs. Uh… I brought my new laptop. That _should_ be allowed. You?”

“Can’t think of anything either,” Nick shrugged. “Don’t think they’d take us here because of a few potato chips.”

Judy’s ears suddenly perked up as she heard raised voices on the other side of the door. Nick must’ve heard them too, for he slid off the folding chair and put an ear to the side of the door. Judy didn’t bother joining him – Nick’s El Centroese was better.

“Something about a car…” said Nick. “Someone who’s _not_ a prisoner… Hang on!”

Nick suddenly backed away from the door, and a second later, the door flung open, and a muscular jaguar stepped through the door. Like the coyotes, the jaguar wore a green military police uniform, but carried his cap in his hand.

“ _¡Idiotas!_ ” the newcomer growled, throwing a glare over his shoulder, before turning to Judy and Nick with a sigh. “Officers Hopps and Wilde?”

“Yeah?”

“I am Captain Tēcuani of the PNEC,” said the jaguar, tucking his cap in his armpit as he knelt down to speak with the smaller mammals. “Valle de Ceniza is within my jurisdiction. I came here to take you there.”

“We just saw the welcoming committee,” said Nick. “We thought someone would pick us up in the arrivals area.”

“Yes, I must apologize for the reception,” Tēcuani sighed, before glaring at one of the coyotes, who was peeking into the room. “ _I_ was under that impression, too. It was here a full hour before I was told that you had been escorted to a ‘safe area.’”

The coyote’s ears flattened, and he backed away from the door.

“In any case, I sincerely apologize for this treatment.” Tēcuani spoke very good Animalian (better than the coyotes at any rate), but with an El Centroese accent. “I have yet to find a suitable liaison officer for the two of you, so I will fill that role until then.”

“ _Muchas gracias_ ,” said Nick, smirking.

The jaguar gave an amused snort, then poked his head out the door.

“ _Los escoltaré ahora_ ,” he said to one of the coyotes outside.

“ _Oh, ¿montarás el carro blindado con nosotros?_ ”

“ _¿_ _Carro blindado?_ ” Tēcuani’s hackles raised. “ _¡No pedí un carro blindado!_ ”

The coyote took a step back. “ _Nos dijeron que era un asunto delicado, por lo que asumimos que querría más seguridad-_ “

 _“¡Si quiero más seguridad,_ pediré  _más seguridad! Te lo dije antes, ¡no son prisioneros!_ ” Tēcuani barked before burying his head in his paw, prompting Nick to stifle a pithy snort of his own. “ _No importa. Nos llevaremos mi coche._ ”

“ _¿Tu coche, Capitán?_ ”

“ _¡Mi coche!_ ” barked Tēcuani. “ _El asunto está resuelto. Estos oficiales son ahora_ mi  _responsabilidad. Los llevaré a Valle de Ceniza, y eso es definitivo. Gracias por tu servicio. Me haré cargo ahora. **¡Buen día!**_ ”

The coyote withered away from the door, leaving Tēcuani to sigh again and glance back at the two ZPD officers. “These young officers are still not used to dealing with civilian matters, I’m guessing,” he explained. “I’ve had to deal with that sort of thinking in my own jurisdiction. Now, if you’ll just come with me…”

* * *

As Captain Tēcuani walked Judy and Nick through the terminal, Judy took the opportunity to glance at the other mammals coming and going.

Most of the mammals speaking El Centroese were predators, such as a cougar security guard walking by them, and a wolf businessmammal on his cell phone.

Judy’s nose twitched as she realized that the only prey species she noticed all had cameras or El Centroese souvenirs – and a considerable amount of them spoke Animalian.

Eventually, after Nick and Judy collected their luggage, Tēcuani escorted them to the parking lot, and into a black sedan, where the fox and rabbit clambered into the oversized back seat.

As they set off, Judy wished the car was more for her and Nick’s size, so she could see out the windows properly. In Tēcuani’s car, all she could do was look upwards at an angle, seeing only blue sky punctuated by trees, then flashes of blocky city buildings, then, dense tropical trees.

“Has Chief Bogo informed you why you were sent here?” said Tēcuani, long into their drive.

Judy’s ears dropped. She didn’t like leading off with this subject.

Nick beat her to answering Tēcuani’s question. “The Taillander Gang’s contacts in El Centro. Bogo wants the ZPD and the PNEC to collaborate to find out where the meat’s coming from and if anyone else is getting it.”

A chill ran down Judy’s spine as she remembered how Rod Taillander’s gang had been one end of a Meat Trading network – receiving and selling mammal meat in Zootopia. Worse, some of Taillander’s lieutenants had implied there were other organizations dealing in El Centroese meat.

The idea of Meat Traders in this day and age seemed unthinkable, but the idea of them receiving meat from El Centro seemed slightly less surprising, given El Centro’s rocky history with the predator-prey divide.

“Yes…” Tēcuani’s tone was grim. “But did your Chief tell you why I asked for you specifically, Officer Hopps?”

Judy’s ears shot up. Bogo had mentioned that the El Centro National Police had asked for her specifically. The question had been bugging her all the way from Zootopia. “ _You_ asked for me, Captain?”

“I did,” Tēcuani nodded, eyes affixed to the winding roads. “For security reasons, there was only so much we could communicate over the phone. Chief Bogo knows most of this story, but I wanted to tell it to you myself. You understand of course, that what I am about to tell you is strictly confidential.”

Nick and Judy nodded before Tēcuani continued.

“Several days after Rod Taillander was arrested, my mammals arrested Jose de Narica, a coati possessing meat, and two Malaikan tourists buying it from him.” Tēcuani took in a deep breath before continuing. “The ‘meat’ in question was very raw – almost a complete corpse. Specifically, it was the corpse of a rabbit.”

Nick warily glanced at Judy, who just stared into space.

“We believe that de Narica had stolen the rabbit from the Meat-Traders’ slaughterhouse. It’s been years since we’ve received a corpse this intact. Therefore, it was much easier to identify this rabbit. His name was Christiano Teporingo. He came from a family of farmer rabbits who live on the slopes of Volcán de Loros.”

“Okay…” muttered Judy, breathlessly.

“Before we could get de Narica to confess where he’d obtained the meat, he hanged himself in his cell – at least, that’s what it _looked_ like.”

Nick caught on quickly. “You don’t think so?”

“I’m not sure. Watch the bumps!” The entire car jolted back and forth for a brief while, shaking Nick and Judy like ragdolls. “Road works,” Tēcuani explained. “De Narica seemed fearful when interrogated, at one point offering to ‘do anything’ for us as long as we didn’t hurt him, and that he was of more worth alive. The fact that he died so shortly after this raises unnerving questions about my officers’ integrity.”

Judy’s jaw dropped. “You think someone in your department killed him to silence him?”

“I don’t want to believe it.” Tēcuani’s steely blue eyes narrowed on the road ahead. “But it’s a risk I can't afford. The Aullido regime’s ties to meat traders is practically an open secret. Since the Aullidoists were toppled, we’ve tried to rid the army and the PNEC of their influence, but it’s proving to be a long and tricky process.”

“Okay…” said Judy. “But what’s this got to do with me?”

“Well, this is more about the victim than de Narica. You see, the Teporingos are very isolated – their farm is located amidst thick forests and hilly terrain. They seldom come to Valle de Ceniza, let alone talk to anyone there – to predators in particular.”

Nick’s ears perked as sky began to turn crimson with the sunset.

“Rumor has it that the family had bad run-ins with the PNEC during the Aullido years,” Tēcuani continued. “We tried asking his family for details about what Christiano had been doing leading up to his death, but they never even reported Christiano missing.”

“Why wouldn’t they?” said Judy.

“As I said, there are rumors that either the Teporingos had previously antagonized the Aullidoist Police, or that the Police persecuted the Teporingos – it depends on who you ask,” said Tēcuani, slowing to approach a stoplight. “But the fact of the matter is that the Teporingos have long memories. They are very leery of predators, and it is only recently that the PNEC started recruiting prey police officers – none of whom have made it out here in my jurisdiction.”

Now Tēcuani finally glanced back at his passengers. “That’s why I asked for you, Officer Hopps. Being a rabbit, they may be more willing to trust you, and you may be more knowledgeable about how to approach rabbits than we are, so your expertise would be valuable.” The jaguar stared out at the open road again. "This is the biggest lead we've had with the meat traders in years - I'm not about to let it slip through my fingers."

Judy stared at the floor, trying to take in all Tēcuani had said.

Nick broke the silence. “It takes a bunny to talk to a bunny, basically. But what about me? What am _I_ doing here?”

Tēcuani purred with laughter. “Your Chief Bogo, he said that – how did he put it? ‘Getting Hopps to take a case without Wilde is like fitting an elephant into the First Bank of Little Rodentia.’”

Nick chuckled.

“And I figured more outside influences from the ZPD would be of use,” said Tēcuani, tone hardening. “Particularly if my Department really  _is_ compromised.”

The three sat in silence until Tēcuani’s car stopped somewhere.

“Are we there yet?” said Judy.

“No, not _quite_ yet,” said Tēcuani, looking back to Nick and Judy, a warm smile on his muzzle as he undid his seat belt. “I just thought I’d show you something before we came into town.”

After Tēcuani opened the door, Nick and Judy ambled out. The road they had stopped on was part of a switchback leading down a steep hill. From the road, they could see an immense valley, with a town dug into the bottom of it. With the sky beginning to turn crimson with the sunset, it felt even more picturesque as the forests were bathed in warm light.

“This is Valle de Ceniza,” said Tēcuani, gesturing to the town. “Your hotel is near the bottom of this hill, down over there.”

“Whoa…” said Judy, looking all over the valley. “It’s beautiful…”

When Judy glanced his way, Nick seemed even more amazed. _City boy, meet gorgeous countryside_ , Judy thought with a smirk.

Tēcuani chuckled before pointing to a mountain on the other side of the town. “That is Volcán de Loros. The Teporingo farm is on the other side.”

“Doesn’t ‘volcán’ mean ‘volcano’?” Nick raised an eyebrow.

“It does,” said Tēcuani. “But Volcán de Loros is extinct. It hasn’t erupted for thousands of years. On the other hand…” Tēcuani gestured to another peak located a relatively short distance behind Volcán de Loros. “That is Volcán de Presagio. Unlike Volcán de Loros, it is very active. It often spouts smoke like that.”

Indeed, a wisp of smoke was emanating from Volcán de Presagio’s peak. Judy had never seen an active volcano. The idea of it going off gave her what Nick had called "guiltcipation"- that feeling of wanting more thrills, but simultaneously feeling fearful of and guilty for thinking of it.

“‘Valle de Ceniza’ is El Centroese for ‘Valley of Ash,’” said Tēcuani. “In centuries past, this area’s been hit hard by volcanic eruptions, so the locals always keep an eye on Volcán de Presagio. It also means we’ve seen our fair share of foreign vulcanologists passing through town.

“On the other side of that ridge…” Tēcuani gestured to the ridge to the left side of Valle de Ceniza. “…are the ruins of the ancient Mesoanimalian temple of Ch’o e Balam. We also get plenty of tourists coming to visit the temple. Between the tourists and the vulcanologists, the presence of two more Malaikans should not arouse suspicion.”

“I see,” chucked Nick. “So job or no job, we’re tourists, too.”

“ _¿Que?_ ” Tēcuani tilted his head.

“We’re coming from out of town to sniff around, right?” Nick gave his traditional smirk. “That’s not so different from tourism, right?”

Tēcuani laughed. “That may be, but we still need to get you settled in and well-rested so you can get acquainted with the area. With that, it’s time we got you to your hotel.”

As the three went back to the car, Judy’s heart raced. She had no idea where this was headed. A part of her was terrified at what contending with the meat traders would bring, but a part of her only wanted to get more aquainted with Valle de Ceniza and its surrounds.

Either way, Judy knew she and Nick were in for something big…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I butchered any Spanish in this chapter, please don't hesitate to let me know!


	17. Meet the Press

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> r/Zootopia Creation Theme 28: "Who the Hell Put Wilde in Charge?!"
> 
> With Chief Bogo indisposed, it falls to Nick to deal with the media.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the only way I could think of dealing with the current theme.
> 
> There's a pawpsicle in it for whoever gets the reference!

"How long do you think he'll be out?" said Judy, glancing around the near-empty bullpen.

"Doctors say he'll be okay - just a bit of food poisoning," sighed Officer Frieda Fangmeyer, the tigress rubbing the back of her neck. "But they said they'll probably keep him overnight to make sure."

"Hope he gets well soon..." said Clawhauser, remembering watching the Chief of Police stagger into the ambulance.

"But what about the media?" said Frieda's brother, Sergeant Danny Fangmeyer. "They're already here for the press conference. I can introduce things, but we'll need someone who knows the nitty-gritty of the Meowlery Heist to take it from there."

"So that means either the Chief, Hopps, Wilde, Rhinowitz, or someone from Precinct 15..." said Frieda.

"...and _naturally_  Rhinowitz is out for a doctor's appointment," groaned Officer Francine Trunkaby.

"...and we can't get anyone from Precinct 15 here in time," growled Lieutenant Mick Higgins.

"How about you, Hopps?" said Danny.

"No," Frieda and Judy chorused.

"That just leaves..." everyone turned to the ZPD's first fox officer.

"Think you'd be up for it, Wilde?" said Danny.

"Never done it before..." said Nick. "But odds are, I know at least a few of the reporters."

"I thought you knew everyone, Wilde!" chuckled Officer Jake Delgato, before being silenced by the other officers' glares.

"You sure 'bout this, foxy?" said Higgins, the hippopotamus raising an eyebrow. "The media can really lay into a mammal. Your partner can attest to that."

Now it was Higgins receiving glares.

Danny spoke up again. "Seriously, Wilde. This is your first presser. The media's gonna try and squeeze their  _own_  story out of you to pander to their readers."

"Don't worry, Danno, I know the media." Nick smirked. "MBC News is watched by the mammals who think they run the country, _The_ _Zootopia Gazette_ is read by the mammals who think they  _ought_ to run the country,  _The_ _Zootopia Times_ is read by the mammals who actually  _do_ run the country, ZNN's watched by the kids of the mammals who run the country, _The Wolf Street Journal_ 's read by the mammals who  _own_ the country, _The Colossus Post_ 's read by the mammals who think the country's too small, _The Daily Scuttler_ 's read by the mammals who think it's too big,  _The Jungle_ 's read by the mammals who think the country shouldn't even exist, and OX News is watched by the mammals who think it never did."

The room fell into silence.

Judy's nose twitched before she spoke up. "What about the  _Bulletin_?"

Frieda Fangmeyer rolled her eyes. " _Bulletin_ readers don't care who runs the country as long as it's her mating season."

The laughter in the bullpen could be heard for miles.


	18. Zootopia: The New Files (POC)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **r/Zootopia Creation Theme #33: The Next Generation**
> 
>  
> 
> Corey DeMouffe is having his dreams come true. He's now the first skunk officer on the ZPD, and he's thrilled to work under now-Sergeant Judy Hopps, one of his idols in Precinct 1's new Small Mammal Integration Taskforce (SMIT). But he quickly finds that there's more to police work than he thought, and he's about to learn that all is not well with the duo he once looked up to...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another 'Proof-of-concept' for a plot bunny I keep having. Hope you like it!

Corey DeMouffe just stared at the floor of the modified ZPD cruiser from behind the bars.

The skunk hadn’t been arrested, but it felt like he had. The Sarge hadn’t said anything. She just kept her eyes on the road. Occasionally, Phyllis looked over from the passenger seat to give Corey and Iona a pitying glance and a wry, bucktoothed grin.

Corey’s dad had always told him to not look out so much for worst-case scenarios, but in situations like these, he couldn’t help it.

Then to his relief, _and_ to his dismay – Corey couldn’t decide which – Iona Stoker spoke up next to him. “The evidence was all there,” said the spectral bat. “We were justified in going in there.”

“I don’t want to hear it,” said Sergeant Hopps, her purple eyes not leaving the road.

“There were screams coming from inside,” said Iona. “Weaselton was obviously in trouble. It was probable cause!”

“Weaselton shouldn’t even have been there,” said Hopps. “The fact is, you two knowingly put a civilian in danger.”

“He _agreed_ to it,” protested Iona, extending her wings in exasperation.

“Duke Weaselton will do anything to not get arrested,” said Hopps. “You may not have meant to, but now he could turn this right back against us and say you two threatened him into spying on those smugglers.”

“We didn’t!” sputtered Corey. “We-we asked him nicely. I even told him he could back out if-“

“I don’t want to hear it, DeMouffe!” Hopps snapped. “What if he’d sold you out? What if you hadn’t gotten to him in time? It was a boneheaded, risky operation, and all it did was put months of work in jeopardy.”

“Th-they found the bulbs,” said Phyillis Quillsbury, the porcupine giving the Sergeant a wry smile. “That counts for something, right?”

The grey rabbit just gave Phyllis a glare. “If the smugglers have a good enough lawyer, they’ll have a field day with all your improper procedures,” said Hopps. “So will the media if this gets out. If this is what they think of our first collar, it’ll put SMIT, the Mammal Inclusion Initiative, and _all_ your careers in jeopardy.”

“D-do you think it’ll be that bad?” Corey murmured, grimacing as he pulled his long, fluffy tail around and began stroking it like a stuffed animal.

“DeMouffe, the Small Mammal Integration Taskforce was forced on the Chief to show that with the Mammal Inclusion Initiative’s re-enactment actually _means_ something,” sighed Sergeant Hopps. “Politicians are fickle, and the Chief wants concrete results from us. We can’t afford mistakes like this!”

“I… I thought you’d understand, ma’am…” said Corey.

“Understand what?” said Hopps.

“I mean, I heard what you and Officer Wilde did in the Night Howler Case,” said Corey, looking up towards the drivers’ seat. “You did what you had to to save the city! If you’d followed proper procedure then, Bellwether would have-“

Suddenly, Corey and the others lurched forward as the cruiser ground to a halt, their seatbelts being the only thing holding them in.

“Now you listen to me, DeMouffe,” said Judy, unbuckling her seatbelt so she could turn around and face Corey and Iona properly, voice white-hot with restrained fury. “During the Night Howler Case alone, I flouted procedure, abused my authority, and put civilians in danger on multiple occasions because I wanted to play hero, and that’s not even getting into how I started the actual panic. The fact that I got my badge back, let alone made Sergeant, is nothing short of a miracle, so if you want someone to put on a pedestal, pick someone else.”

“But-“

“No buts!” snapped Hopps. “We’re all the first of our respective species on the ZPD. We’ve all got expectations riding on us. So I am _not_ going to let you throw your careers down the drain by making the same kind of stupid, hotheaded rookie errors I made in my early days!”

“But what about Officer Wilde?” said Corey, lowering his voice deferentially. “Do you think he’d agree?”

Silence fell in the cruiser. Everyone stared at Corey. Sergeant Hopps stared for a bit, then turned back around, placing her hands on the steering wheel. Phyllis’s jaw dropped, then she clenched her teeth, eyes shifting back and forth as her quills rose and fell.

Iona blinked. “You really don’t know, do you?”

Corey looked around his fellow SMIT officers. “Don’t know what?”

Sergeant Hopps sighed, eyes not leaving the road ahead. “Officer Wilde resigned from the force three months ago.”


End file.
